Dhaka wants Hasina back in Bangladesh
Nava Thakuria
Bangladesh interim government continues pursuing the return journey of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Dhaka so that she can face hundreds of legal cases, lodged in different locations of the south Asian nation, and finally delivered justice to the victims. The caretaker regime in Dhaka has seemingly maintained an inherent agenda to show disgrace to the Union government in New Delhi for giving shelter to the autocratic Awami League chief, who ruled India’s immediate neighbour for more than two decades. Giving asylum to Hasina after a short notice as she had to leave her country following a student-led uprising in July-August 2024, New Delhi continued supporting the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman even though announcing any formal refugee status.
Lately, the Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government approached the International Criminal Police Organization (popularly known as INTERPOL) with an appeal to issue a Red Notice against Hasina and a few of her associates against their involvement in the mass killings. Sending a formal request to the Lyon (France) based inter-governmental body, the national central bureau of Bangladesh Police, claimed that all those accused are now absconding for many months in foreign lands. Recently, Prof Yunus while meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bangkok on the sidelines of 6th BIMSTEC summit, reiterated the issue of Hasina’s repatriation to Bangladesh. New Delhi remains non-committal to it and urged the Yunus administration to ensure safety and security to the religious minorities in the Muslim majority nation.
Meanwhile, the recent abduction and subsequent killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy (58) ignited another row of outrages as New Delhi termed it a systematic murder of minorities in Bangladesh. Officially reacting to the unfortunate incident, where the office bearer of Biral Upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad was severely assaulted in Dinajpur locality, New Delhi termed it another example of atrocities on Hindus there. Roy was reportedly kidnapped from his residence in Basudebpur village on 17 April and beaten to death by four individuals. They came on two bikes after confirming his presence at home and took Roy away towards Narabari village in the afternoon hours. According to wife Shantana Roy, the perpetrators first called him by phone to ensure his presence at home and after a few minutes they arrived to bring him with them. When Roy returned back by a vehicle, he was almost unconscious, and family members took him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead.
“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh. This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman of India’s foreign ministry on social media, adding, “We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government (in Dhaka) to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions.”
The prime opposition Congress party also condemned Roy’s killing and urged the Union government to take up the matter with the highest urgency and prevail upon the regime in Dhaka to ensure a credible investigation to punish the culprits. The abduction and assault leading to Roy’s tragic death is a chilling reminder of the growing sense of insecurity among religious minorities in the region, commented senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, adding that it’s not an isolated incident. Over the past months, there have been repeated and deeply disturbing instances of attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh, from desecration of Hindu temples to targeted attacks on the homes and businesses of minorities. This pattern of intimidation and brutality cannot be ignored, he added.
Dhaka-based human rights group ‘Aain o Salis Kendra’ recently reported that 147 incidents of vandalism targeting Hindu houses, temples and businesses took place last month. It explained that over 408 households, including 36 cases of arson, were recorded where 113 attacks took place against Hindu-owned business groups. Moreover, 32 incidents of vandalism on temples and Ahmadiyya mosques were reported during the period. Days back, the United States renewed its travel advisory for Bangladesh, where it urged American citizens to reconsider visiting the country in general and Chittagong Hill Tracts region in particular over elevated threats of violence, terrorism, and kidnapping.
